An island between Italy and north Africa. Its most recent importance
was as a British naval base, part of the route to India and a British base during the second world war. But
it is a transition zone between Europe and Africa. The language
is closest to Arabic but is a separate dialect, perhaps derived
from the Phoenicians.

It was mentioned in the New Testament as the place where St
Paul was shipwrecked. Malta has been part of many empires including
the Phoenician, Carthaginian, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, the Norman
kingdom of Sicily, the Aragonese, from 1530 it belonged to the
Knights Hospitallers who defended it against the Ottomans, then
to the French during the Napoleonic wars, captured by the British
in 1810 and from 1814 a British colony. It has been independent
since 1964. The final departure of British troops was in 1979.

Since then the island has tried to live by providing maritime
services and tourism. When a left wing government was elected
the prime minister looked for aid from Libya. Recently a right
wing government has succeeded and the government now looks towards
the European Union. A referendum held in March 2003 confirmed
membership which took effect in the April 2004 wave. Will people
migrate to Italy when the freedom to move is implemented?

Parliamentary system with executive prime minister and ceremonial
president. Actual change of party has occurred on several occasions.

The two main parties are the Nationalists (currently in office)
and the Malta Labour Party. The Catholic Church, to which most
Maltese belong, has been an opponent of the Labour party. The
Labour party looked towards the former colonial world for support,
especially Libya. The Nationalists look towards Europe and the
EU.

The September 1998 elections returned a Nationalist (Conservative)
government which applied to join the EU in the next wave (2004).